UN sees progress in Yemen talks; need for full ceasefire

Bern: Yemen's warring parties have agreed on a broad framework for ending their war at talks in Switzerland but they first have to agree a permanent ceasefire, after a week-long truce was widely violated, the United Nations said yesterday.

UN Yemen envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the two sides would meet again on Jan 14. The location had yet to be set, although both Switzerland and Ethiopia were possible.

Yemen's foreign minister Abdel Malek al-Mekhlafi later told reporters a ceasefire which was due to end later this week had been extended for another seven days on condition that Houthi fighters adhere to the truce.

A military alliance of mostly Gulf Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia began bombing Yemen's Houthi movement, an ally of Iran, in March to try to restore the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The conflict has killed nearly 6,000 people and plunged the impoverished country into a humanitarian crisis.

The participants agreed that at some point both sides would release prisoners, and that they would put forward proposals on how to manage the withdrawal of forces and heavy weaponry. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said he was optimistic.